The present invention pertains to a tool for cleaning a foam buffing pad, such as a rotary power driven one and, more particularly, to a hand held tool that may be held for example, against the driven pad to remove caked materials (e.g., paint, paint polishing compounds and the like).
Pads made from reticulated foams such as flexible polyurethane (e.g., obtained commercially from 3M®), have become very popular for use in the auto finishing industry. These pads are formed in a circular or cylindrical shape and mounted for power driven rotation. When used for buffing, waxing, polishing and the like, oxidized paint, and other soils build up on the surface of the pad, typically as a cake-like layer. However, if the pad surface can be cleaned and the edges and other portions of the pad dressed, the pads can be given substantially extended useful lives before they are worn to the point of discarding. This is commercially very desirable.
Removing the pad from the drive unit and dressing the same by hand with the use of water for example, is tedious and difficult. U.S. Pat. No. 5,456,630 discloses a hand tool for cleaning foam pads. As disclosed therein, a plurality of cleaning wheels are used to clean and dress the pad. The shortcoming of this device is that the wheels merely spin on the pad without actually cleaning the pad very efficiently.
There is a need in the art to have a hand held tool by which the buffing pad can be cleaned while operatively mounted and being rotatably driven. However, such tool should be constructed so it does not cause excessive tearing of the foam, and cleans the pads effectively and efficiently. The present tool fulfills these and other needs.